Paul & Joe RTW Fall 2016

Creative director Sophie Mechaly did not shy away from embellishment for fall. She served it plenty on girly looks riffing off a Sixties aesthetic. There were flower brooches that sparkled from printed neckties; fluffy hearts dangled from metal chains attached to flared corduroy and denim pants, and teddies came embroidered with glistening cats, stars and the label’s initials.

Bold, furry collars in white, red or aubergine, meanwhile, topped it all off. Amid the visual action, the main silhouettes could be identified as shift dresses with matching A-line coats, playing into the collection’s gaudy naiveté, though Mechaly also made room for masculine codes, proposing pin-striped (albeit metallic) suits or cropped boyish pants styled with nerdy knitted sweaters.

The photogenic collection clearly struck a nerve with French actress Emmanuelle Béart snapping away happily with her iPhone. Still, a comparatively sober denim ensemble, featuring an elongated blazer and flared bottoms, was a welcome change.